Hot Beverages Are Hot
by TamariChan
Summary: I'm Ginny Weasley, and I don't even know what just happened. It was a cup of coffee, for Merlin's sake! Written for HedwigBlack.


**Disclaimer: The world and characters of Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling. This is a light Draco/Ginny for HedwigBlack in the Guilty Pleasure Fic Exchange II. I used prompts 'sarcasm' and 'coffee'.**

It's a Muggle coffee shop in a Muggle neighborhood in a mostly Muggle city, so of course I'm expecting to see every witch and wizard I know. Oh, wait, _I'm _not the paranoid one.

And while my coffee does go whee! in the air as I throw up my hands, the look of pure horror on Draco Malfoy's face as he sputters and wipes coffee off his face is definitely worth the waste of my favorite morning beverage.

"_What_ are you doing, Weasley? Are you trying to kill me with _coffee_?" Malfoy's mouth is hanging open and he's not even sneering. There must be something terribly wrong.

"If I were, I would use your cup, not mine," I say with a sniff. It's hard to remain dignified when soaking and probably burned, as we're both discovering. Oh, shared experiences, bonding, how you warm my soul.

"Oh, that's right. I forgot you were too poor to afford a decent cup of coffee to murder someone with!" There's that sneer again. I almost missed it. But not really.

"Please, Malfoy," I say. "If I were to murder you, I'd do it right. An iced mocha with whipped cream, or something. I'm not _that_cruel."

He cracks a smile and I almost stagger back. "Good to know. But I'm still completely soaked, so if you don't mind, I'll be off to change before work."

"Wait," I say, and I can hardly believe I'm saying it but I do anyway.

He turns back to look at me like _she really is a crazy person, why is she still talking to me?_.

"Why were you here? I mean," I add as his look only intensifies, "this is a MUGGLE shop."

Malfoy's expression shifts to _she's not crazy, just stupid_. Taking a few quick steps back toward me, he leans in.

I inhale unconsciously. He smells like mint and cappuccino. It occurs to me that he has quite nice hair, as well.

"Are you mad?" he says. Not exactly a proposal, but whatever. I wouldn't want one either, from _Malfoy_.

"Excuse me?" I say.

"We're in a Muggle area, like you just said. So why are you blabbing on like the Statute of Secrecy is a bedtime story?"

Oops.

"Oops," I say, and shrug. His expression morphs to a curious cross between a sneer, a smirk, and an honest-to-goodness smile.

I realize about now that I am paying way too much attention to his face than is healthy. I'm going to stop now. We are going to pretend it never happened.

"I suppose you can get away with that, if anyone can," he says. Is that jealousy? Is Draco Malfoy jealous of me? I may need to tell everyone everywhere.

"Huh?" I say eloquently.

"You're Ginny Weasley," he says, raising blonde eyebrows. "The younger sister of a _war hero_, best friends with another, girlfriend to the Man-Who-Died-And-Wouldn't-Stay-The-Hell-Dead. You can do whatever you want."

"I'm not Harry's girlfriend!" I shake my head firmly and a few drops of coffee drop off my curls. Malfoy doesn't comment on that, surprisingly. "Not for a long time."

"Even so," he says. Then, "Dumped him? At least you came to your senses eventually."

I giggle despite myself. He raises his eyebrows even further.

"You have a sense of humor?" he asks.

I cross my arms and huff. But I _don't _stamp my foot. "Of course I do! What kind of person doesn't?" I'm about to make a joke about Voldemort, but then I remember who I'm talking to. Probably wouldn't be in good taste. Damn.

"Your older brother?" He grins at me.

I seriously cannot help the laughter this time. This may be Draco Malfoy but he is also _hilarious._

"I really do need to change," he says. Is that _regret _in his voice?

"So do I," I say. "Er, nice talking to you. And sorry about spilling on you."

He grins again. It really does make him look a lot more handsome. "We should do it again sometime. You're quite fun to talk to, for a Weasley. Much prettier than the others, too."

He Disapparates before I can close my mouth, and it occurs to me that no one will believe this happened.

Frankly, I don't blame them. I barely believe myself!


End file.
